KNOCKIN' ON ROUND THREE'S DOOR

6/10/22
LONGRIDGE FLOODLIT SINGLES
At Longridge Con Club

To twist a Guns 'N Roses classic purely for the desperate need of a headline, I was knock-knock-knockin' on a third round place at Longridge, but fell just short again.
I still question my eligibility in terms of quality to enter such competitions, but the competitive drive is there I'm now just about starting to settle down and feel quite relaxed when I roll up and show my new face.
Besides, one or two fellow players at these occasions that I speak to are adamant that sticking my head on the block at singles comps will only make me a better player in the long run. And they should know.
I did alright here on Longridge Con Club's lush surface, drawn against home players twice on a green which I'd never played before and making the cut to round two for a second successive tournament.

FIRST ROUND
v DAVE PEEL W 21-13 (Off 3-3)
The importance of a good start at these gatherings is helped by winning the toss and going first. Tails rarely fails, although saying so in print like this is almost sure to curse such fortunes.
Taking the first five points against Dave certainly helped me get in the driving seat and although my opponent gave me some cause for concern with a good run that almost evened up the scores at one point, I put the better woods up overall and played with a bit of confidence on a green that can spring a few surprises despite the wet conditions.
Longridge member Dave tells me as we leave the green he's rarely played much competitive bowls the last few years, spending more time cutting the green and helping out at the club. Perhaps he wanted to tell me he's been better than tonight's show and I have no reason to believe otherwise.
Against a home player, either way it was a decent win and decent performance.


SECOND ROUND
v CRAIG SMITH L 18-21 (Off 3-3)
I watched the closing stages of Craig's first round match against talented young Hesketh Bank bowler Tom Wright, who I was looking forward to the prospect of playing. But Tom had got behind it seemed and despite a comeback that saw Craig get increasingly irrate, the home bowler got back in to win 21-18.
A heavy downpour made for slightly skiddier conditions in my second match but I seemed to adjust, keeping my nose just about in front and leading 12-9 as the match entered the business end.
Whilst Craig played some brilliantly tight woods on a couple of home marks he has mastered, his second half surge in to the lead was as much down to a few mistakes from myself and particularly my lead bowls which simply weren't up to standard. I managed to pull back again though just as my opponent senced the finishing line, but again, at 18-19 with jack in hand and a great opportunity, I botched my lead bowl and let him in cheaply.
Next end, Craig sent two tidy woods on a tricky road and I was a little unlucky not to ruffle up them up. But that was it and although even closer to sneaking in to a third round, not quite there yet.
A place in that next round would have been a tough, but very entertaining clash with Alan Hodson Snr - surely one of the loudest players in the game. 

Alan is an occasional customer where I work and you normally hear him before you see him, but I thought the volume might turn down when he's on the green... if anything, it went up! 😆
Alan was the first face I saw on arrival at the club's very tight side street car park and he shouts me on for a parking space that didn't really exist, leaving me with a very tight turnaround in a long wheel base van. 

He has a better eye for bowling than parking spaces it must be said. 

Alan went on to beat Craig and book a place in finals night.
The night's other qualifier for finals night was the biggest cheese in the Wednesday night pot, Penwortham's Owen Jackson. Jackson went on to win the tournament beating Josh Mordue in the final.